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• Kentucky burley threatened by global tobacco regulations  

Kentucky's main tobacco crop would be devastated by proposed international regulations designed to restrict the content of cigarettes, according to growers and lawmakers who are fighting the proposal.

The regulations, being written by the World Health Organization as part of the international tobacco control treaty, would effectively ban the use of burley tobacco in cigarettes, opponents say. The rules could be approved later this year.

Six of the eight members of Kentucky's congressional delegation have written organization officials in protest, arguing that a burley ban would provide no public health benefits.

"We believe these overly broad guidelines are a threat to the livelihood of American tobacco growers," warned the lawmakers' letter, signed by Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., and Reps. Ed Whitfield, R-1st District; Brett Guthrie, R-2nd; Geoff Davis, R-4th; Hal Rogers, R-5th; and Ben Chandler, D-6th.

Gov. Steve Beshear's office said he had not written to oppose the regulations. . . .

The letter from the Kentucky lawmakers was written June 30 to Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who is playing a lead role in formulating the new guidelines, to be considered at a November meeting in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

"While legislation that seeks to eliminate sweet or candy flavored tobacco from the market may be well intended, the prohibition on the use of all ingredients goes far beyond eliminating only those products with so-called characterizing flavors," the letter said.

"The draft (treaty) guidelines would eliminate the entire category of traditional American blend tobacco that contains burley tobacco, while allowing other categories of cigarettes to remain in the marketplace," the lawmakers continued. "This is simply unfair and does nothing more than stop the sale of American blended tobacco."

The United States signed the tobacco treaty, formally known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in May 2004.

But then-President George W. Bush never submitted the treaty to the Senate for ratification, and President Barack Obama so far has not responded to public health groups' appeals for action on it.

While the treaty took effect in 2005, the United States has had little voice in the implementation of its provisions because it has not ratified it.

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While legislation that seeks to eliminate sweet or candy flavored tobacco from the market may be well intended, the prohibition on the use of all ingredients goes far beyond eliminating only those products with so-called characterizing flavors. The draft (FCTC treaty) guidelines would eliminate the entire category of traditional American blend tobacco that contains burley tobacco, while allowing other categories of cigarettes to remain in the marketplace. This is simply unfair and does nothing more than stop the sale of American blended tobacco.
June 30 letter from Kentucky lawmakers was written to Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who is playing a lead role in formulating the new FCTC guidelines, to be considered at a November meeting in Punta del Este, Uruguay.